Pa. Plan To Cut Funding to Special-Needs Schools Stirs Debate

A plan by Pennsylvania officials to redirect funding from private
schools for students with special needs to public school districts
could force the schools to shut down and disrupt the children's
education, critics of the proposal have charged.

"If this goes through, these approved private schools are going to
disappear, some of them immediately,'' said Rep. Dennis M. O'Brien, a
Philadelphia Republican who is trying to defeat the measure.

"Children are going to be hurt by the abrupt elimination of the line
item,'' added Kathleen R. Duplantier, the executive director of the
Green Tree School for severely disturbed children in Philadelphia.

Since the mid-1970's, Pennsylvania has given money directly to what
are called approved private schools, which currently serve about 4,500
students. Most of the schools are in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and
their suburbs.

As part of his budget package for fiscal 1994, Gov. Robert P. Casey
recommended that the state stop channeling special-education money
directly to all but a handful of the 34 approved private schools.

The only schools that would continue to receive money directly would
be four schools that serve deaf students and blind students.

Under Mr. Casey's proposal, $60 million would be distributed to
public schools based on the state special-education formula.

Equity and Flexibility

State officials maintain that redistributing the aid is more
equitable to the public schools and would give them more flexibility in
determining the best and least restrictive learning environment for
students.

"We believe that programatically, it is better for children,'' said
John Tommasini, the director of special-education planning and analysis
at the state education department.

"We will provide school districts with the complete responsibility
for planning and development and determining what a child's needs are
and where that child's needs should be met,'' he said.

Districts would be able to contract with the private schools if
officials believed they offered the most appropriate placement, and
would not have to seek education department approval.

The state also maintains that the geographic redistribution of funds
would help comply with a January court decision ordering the state to
make greater efforts to enable students with disabilities to remain in
their home communities. (See Education Week, Feb. 17, 1993.)

Because the money would be distributed to districts throughout the
state, however, districts in the large metropolitan areas would face a
loss in state aid as a result of the proposal.

The Philadelphia district, which is facing a $60 million deficit,
would have to come up with an estimated $8.2 million to cover the extra
costs of the 1,006 students who attend the approved private schools,
according to Charles R. Glean, the district's executive director of
student services.

While expressing concern about funding, Mr. Glean also voiced
support for the Governor's proposal.

"We certainly prefer to do business directly with the private
schools,'' he said.

Running Out of Time

Representative O'Brien and other critics contend that the argument
that the Governor's plan would provide for a more equitable
distribution of funding is disingenuous. Although most of the private
schools are in the state's two largest metropolitan areas, he said,
they attract students from across the state.

"That is hideous to think that equal access means you get rid of
terrific programs,'' Mr. O'Brien said in reference to the court
decision.

If they are unable to sign contracts with districts by June, the
private schools will have to lay off teachers and cut programs,
according to private school administrators.

Meanwhile, a state budget accord is at least two weeks away and more
likely will not be completed until mid-June, lawmakers say.

Further complicating the situation is the possibility that the
funding could get caught up in the state's ongoing dispute over
outcome-based education. Action by the House as part of that debate has
led to the withholding of special-education payments to districts,
although that has not affected the private schools. (See Education
Week, Feb. 24, 1993.)

Vol. 12, Issue 32

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